Barwon River (New South Wales)
- For other uses, see Barwon River (disambiguation).
| Barwon | |
|---|---|
.JPG) The Barwon River at Collarenebri. |
|
| Mouth | Confluence with the Darling River |
| Basin countries | Australia |
| Length | 890 km (550 mi) |
The Barwon River flows through New South Wales, virtually as a continuation of the Macintyre River / Border Rivers system, before joining with the Culgoa River to form the Darling River.[1] The name is derived from a local Aboriginal word meaning 'wide stream'.
Other tributaries of the Barwon include the Moonie River, the Bokhara and the Narran Rivers - both branches of the Balonne River (a continuation of the Condamine River), the Mehi River (a continuation of the Gwydir River) and the Namoi River.
Towns on the Barwon River include Brewarrina, Collarenebri, Mungindi and Walgett.
[edit] History
In 1846 Roderick Mitchell, Commissioner of Crown Lands and the son of explorer, Sir Thomas Mitchell, proved that the Barwon and MacIntyre Rivers were the same river under different names.[2]
Regular steamer services ran from Walgett to Bourke during 1880 to 1912. During the floods of 1879 and 1886 the steamers were able to travel into Collarenebri and even as far as Mungindi in 1890.
The Aborigines built a complex series fish traps on the Barwon River at Brewarrina. These traps are a large, well preserved example of this type of prehistoric site. The traps were built of rocks placed in the river bed to form a large number of V-shaped or diamond shaped channels. The Brewarrina fish traps have now been listed on the Australian National Heritage List owing to the rarity of these works. They are of importance to modern Aborigines and are still in use. There are rocky rapids above and below Collarenebri as well as weirs and other structures for irrigation which impede normal navigation of the river.[2]
The Brewarrina Lift Bridge which was built in 1888 over Barwon River on the Kamilaroi Highway has also been assessed as being of State significance.[3]
The Boonanga bridge completed in 1928 to cross the Barwon River near Boomi, is an early example of Allan timber truss road bridges. This bridge has been recorded with the NSW State agency heritage register. [4]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Barwon River (New South Wales) |
- ^ "Geoscience Australia - Fab Facts, Landforms, Australian Rivers". www.ga.gov.au. Archived from the original on 2008-07-29. http://web.archive.org/web/20080729062144/http://www.ga.gov.au/education/facts/landforms/longrive.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-22.
- ^ a b Reader's Digest Illustrated Guide to Australian Places. Sydney, NSW: Reader's Digest. 1993. pp. 187. ISBN 0 86438 399 1.
- ^ Brewarrina Bridge over Barwon River, The
- ^ Boonanga Bridge over Barwon River
Coordinates: 28°50′09″S 149°05′34″E / 28.83583°S 149.09278°E
